All paintings have been purchased or donated by the artists, who live and work in Japan. We are no longer acquiring art, but have in our permanent collection over 150 paintings, which we display in our online, 3D virtual art gallery (curatedartshow.com/lobby/rlg).
The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art is a philanthropic venture by Canadian painter, musician and author, Rufus Lin. Founded in 2009, its mission is to exhibit jury-selected paintings by talented Japanese artists, regardless of track record, with explanations of the paintings in English.
Outside of Japan, there is no comparable art museum specializing in Japanese contemporary fine art, and in particular, the permanent collection includes a wide range of work ranging from nihonga (painted with handmade special pigments) and detailed manga-style pen-and-ink illustrations to incredibly delicate chigirie (hand-torn washi paper collages).
Unlike commercial galleries, which are really retail stores selling art, the Rufus Lin Gallery is an art museum that displays fine art, and there are no price tags on the paintings. Online viewing of the exhibits is completely free.
By setting stringent criteria that are applied during the jury selection of work to be exhibited, the gallery tries to steer clear of the many Japanese painters who have been schooled in the European tradition and who work in a clearly Western style. The selection criteria place no emphasis on the fame and experience of the artist, focusing instead on the work itself, and so even paintings by amateurs and art students are exhibited.
Rufus Lin Gallery
A division of Kakkazan Innovations Inc (a Canadian federal corporation established in 2000). Registered business licence with the City of Richmond, BC, Canada.
